Utility lamp



Aug. 1, 1 950 Filed June 20, 1946 INVENTOR.

Patented Aug. 1, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE UTILITY A P b Arthur L. lfllalpern, New York, Y. [application June 2c, 1946, Serial No. 677,976

This invention relates generally to illuminating devices and more particularly to lamps of the electrical type that rest on and adorn tables, beds, and other furniture.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a novel utility lamp that is capable of use as a standing table lamp or as a hanging lamp on beds and other furniture.

Another object of the invention is to provide a lamp of novel construction which can be quickly and easily converted into a standing lamp or a hanging lamp.

Another object is to provide lamp having supporting means which, through novel construction thereof, enables use of said lamp in standing position or in hanging position.

A further object is to provide a lamp wherein the lamp shade thereof is carried by novel movable supporting members so constructed and arranged that in one position they provide a stand or base for said shade and in another position they provide a hanger for said shade.

A still further object is to provide a utility lamp which is simple in construction and inexpensive to manufacture and consists Of a lamp shade having pivotally mounted thereon novel supporting members adapted to releasably grip and support said shade and provide in one position a stand or base therefor, and in another position a hanger therefor.

The above and further objects and novel features of the invention will more fully appear from the following detailed description when the same is read in connection with the accompanying drawings. It is to be expressly understood, however, that the drawings are for the purpose of lustration only and are not intended to define the limits of the invention, reference for this latter purpose being had primarily to the appended claims. r

In the drawings, wherein like reference characters refer to like parts throughout the several views,

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of an electrical lamp embodying the present invention, andshowing said lamp as it appears when employed as a standing table lamp, the covering material on the lamp shade frame being removed, and a portion of said frame being broken away for purposes of clearer illustration;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the lamp shown in Fig. 1, with a major portion of the covering material on the lamp shade frame broken away for purposes of clearer illustration;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, but showing tions 23 and 25. 22 loosely surround the U-shaped portions 2!, 2| as l 2 the lamp as it appears when employedas a hanging lamp on a bed or the like; and

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings, 5 indicates the skeleton wire lamp shade frame which is of the usual construction and covered with a suitable material as well understood in the art, a portion of the covering material being indicated at 6 (Fig. 2). In the form shown, frame 5 comprises an upper semi-circular ring I terminating in a rear straight cross rod 8, a lower larger semicircular ring 9 axially aligned with the upper ring 1, vertical front rods l0, and vertical rear side rods H, said rods being brazed or soldered at opposite ends thereof to rings 1 and 9, and said rings and said rods forming a vertical frame havingva flat rear surface. Ring 1 and cross rod 8 have brazed or soldered thereto centrally thereof opposite extremities of a rod l2 which is formed with a ring it to receive therein the usual standard electric socket M for an electric bulb 15, said socket being electrically connected with asuitable electrical outlet by lead wires l6 and I1.

Brazed or soldered to the rear side rods 4 l and spaced vertically above ring 9 is a cross rod l8 (Figs. 1 and 4) which is formed intermediate the ends thereof with two transversely spaced, rearwardly offset U-shaped portions l9, l9. Brazed or soldered to the rear free ends of ring 9 and disposed directly below cross rod is is a second cross rod 20 which is also formed with two transversely spaced, rearwardly oifset U-shaped portions 2|, 2| that are identical with the U-shaped portions l9, it in: bar It and located in vertical alignment with the latter.

It will be understood that frame 5 may be of any construction and may be of any desired shape having a flat rear surface and the cross rods [8,

2G, or the equivalent thereof.

Pivotally mounted on the two Ushaped portions 21, 2| of rod 26 are two vertically extending members or supports 22, 22 which, in the illustrated embodiment, are formed of sheet steel, but may be formed of any other suitable material.

Each support 22 is formed with three transverse- 1y extending, forwardly offset U-shaped portions 23, 24, and 25 which are vertically spaced from each other a distance equal to the horizontal center-line distance between the cross rods I8 and 28. Portion 23 is located at the upper end of support 22, and portion 2a is located between por- Portions 2d, 2d of supports 22,

or cross rod 28 on frame 5, and, hence, said supports are capable of swinging movement about the rod portions 2|, 2| in opposite directions relative to said frame. The open ends of the support portions 24, 24 are drawn together to retain the supports 22, 22 on frame 5. As will appear hereafter, the portions 23, 23 and 25, 25 of supports 22, 22 are adapted to engage the U- shaped portions l9, 19 of cross rod I 8 on frame 5, the open ends of said support portions being slightly drawn together to cause the same to snap over and yieldingly grip said rod portions. Each support 22, 22 is formed at its lower end with a right angle portion 26 of an appropriate size which terminates in an upwardly curved portion 21. In covering the frame 5, the material at the back of said frame is extended only to the cross rod l8, but may be extended to the cross rod 28 provided there are openings in said material to allow for swinging movement of the supports 22. It will be understood that the supports 22, 22 are painted, sprayed, or covered with a suitable material in harmony with the material 6 on frame 5, and/or otherwise decorated for appearances purposes.

Referring now to Figs. 1 and 2, it will be noted that when the support portions 23, 23 are snapped over the cross-rod portions I9, I 9 of lamp shade frame 5, the supports 22, 22 will extend downwardly from said frame and parallel with the back thereof, and the right angle portions 26, 26 of said supports will project forwardly beneath frame in spaced relation therewith.

'Under these conditions, the supports 22, 22 will serve as a stable stand for the lamp shade, and

thus provide a practical, desirable, and appropriate standing lamp for a console table 28. or for a Pembroke table, commode table, night table, or any other occasional table that is particularly designed for location against a wall, as indicated at 29, of the room furnished by said table. It will be noted that the fiat back construction of the lamp shade, and the parallel supports 22, 22 enables location of the lamp relatively close to or against the wall 29 which is desirable in lamps for tables of the types mentioned above. It will further be noted that tipping or tilting of the lamp shade in either direction relative to the supports 22, 22 is prevented through engagement of the support portions 23, 23 with the crossrod portions l9, IQ of said shade.

Assuming now that a lamp of the bed or similar hanging variety is desired. In this event, the support portions 23, 23 are disengaged from the cross-rod portions l9, IQ of lamp shade frame 5 by a slight forward thumb pressure applied on the upper ends of supports 22, 22, and the latter are rotated 180 in a counter-clockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 2, about their pivots 2!, 2| relative to said frame to the position shown in Fig. 3. Under these conditions, the supports 22, 22 will then extend upwardly along and parallel with the back of the lamp shade, and consequently, the support portions 25, 25 will then engage and yiefdingly grip the cross-rod portions I8, l9 of the lamp shade frame 5, and the right angle support portions 26, 26 and the curved portions 2?, 2'! extending from the latter will then be located at and flush with the top Of the lamp shade and project beyond the latter rearwardly and downwardly, respectively.

Accordingly, when the supports 22, 22 are positioned as shown in Fig. 3 and above described, said supports will serve as a stable hanger for the lamp shade so that the latter may be effectively mounted on and suspended from the head panel 39 of a bed or similar article of furniture. Thus, the supports 22, 22 positioned as shown in Fig. 3 provide, in combination with the lamp shade, a practical, desirable, and appropriate hanging lamp for beds and similar articles of furniture. It will be noted that by virtue of the straight back construction of the lamp shade frame 5, and the parallel arrangement of the supports 22, 22 with respect to said frame, the lamp shade will be located relatively close to and parallel with the head panel 30, and will be held out of contact with said supports and said panel to prevent soiling or tearing of the covering material 6 thereof. Additionally, the lamp shade will be held in upright position and against downward swinging movement relative to supports 22, 22 by the gripping acton of the support portions 25, 25 on the cross-rod portions l9, IQ of frame 5. and said supports, except for a very short portion thereof, will be hidden by said lamp shade.

There is thus provided a novel utility lamp which is simple in construction and inexpensive to manufacture. and which can be used effectively as a standing table lamp or a hanging lamp for beds or similar articles of furniture. The lamp may be quickly and easily converted into a table lamp or hanging lamp without the use of tools and without adding to or removing any parts from said lamp. Additionally, as a table lamp, the latter can be locat d relatively close to an ad oining wall or similar structure, and as a hanging lamp, the latter can be located relatively close to the supporting s ructure therefor. Also, the uti ity lamp eliminates the necessity of manufactur ng two separate and distinct lamps for the purposes specified.

Although only one embodiment of the present invent on has been illustrated in the accompanying drawings and described in the foregoing specification. it is to be expressly understood that said invention is not lim ted thereto. Various changes may be made therein, particularly in the design and arrangement of the parts illustrated. without departing from the spirit and scope of the invent on, as will now be apparent to those skilled in the art. For a definition of the limits of the invention, reference is had primarily to the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a lamp of the character described, a shade, a first cross member secured to said shade at the rear thereof, a second cross member secured to said shade at the rear thereof above and in spaced parallel relation with said first cross member, an elongated vertically extending support provided at one end thereof with a right angle portion terminating in a curved portion projecting towards the opposite end of said support, means on said support adjacent the opposite end thereof for mount ng the same on said first cross member for pivotal movement relative to said shade to two different vertical positions, whereby in one of said positions said support and said right angle portion will provide a stand for said shade, and in the other of said positions said support, said right angle portion and said curved portion will provide a hanger for said shade, and means on said support for yieldingly gripping said second cross member and holding said shade against pivotal movement relative to said support in each position of the latter.

2. In a lamp of the character described, a shade, a first cross member secured to said shade at the rear thereof and provided with a rearwardly offset U-shaped portion, a second cross member secured to said shade at the rear thereof above and in spaced parallel relation with said first cross member, said second cross member being provided with a corresponding rearwardly offset U-shaped portion, an elongated vertically extending support provided at one end thereof with a right angle portion terminating in a curved portion projecting towards the opposite end of said support, means on said support adjacent the opposite end thereof for pivotally mounting the same on the U-shaped portion of said first cross member for movement relative to said shade to two different vertical positions, whereby in one of said positions said support and said right angle portion will provide a stand for said shade, and in the other of said positions said support, said right angle portion and said curved portion will provide a hanger for said shade, and means on said support for yieldingly gripping the U-shaped portion of said second cross memher and holding said shade against pivotal movement relative to said support in each portion of the latter.

3. A utility lamp comprising a shade, a first cross member secured to said shade at the rear thereof and provided with a pair of transversely spaced rearwardly offset U-shaped portions, a second cross member secured to said shade at the rear thereof above and in spaced parallel re lation with said first cross member, said second cross member being provided with a corresponding pair of transversely spaced rearwardly ofiset U-shaped portions, a pair of elongated vertically extending supports provided at corresponding ends thereof with right angle portions terminating in curved portions projecting toward the opposite ends of said supports, means on said supports adjacent the opposite ends thereof for pivotally mounting the same on the U-shaped portions of said first cross member for movement relative to said shade to two diiferent vertical positions, whereby in one of said positions said supports and said right angle portions will provide a stand for said shade, and in the other of said positions said supports, said right angle portions and said curved portions will provide a. hanger for said shade, and means on said supports for yieldingly gripping the U-shaped portions of said second cross member and holding said shade against movement relative to said supports in each position of the latter.

a. In a lamp of the character described, a vertically disposed shade comprising a semi-circular skeleton wire frame providing a fiat rear surface, a first member extending across said frame at the rear thereof and secured thereto, a second member extending across said frame at the rear thereof above and in spaced parallel relation with said first member and secured to said frame, an elongated vertically extending support provided at one end thereof with a right angle portion terminating in a curved portion projecting towards the opposite end of said support, means on said support adjacent the opposite end thereof for pivotally mounting the same on said first memher for movement relative to said frame to two dilferent vertical positions, whereby in one of said positions said support will extend downwardly beyond said frame parallel with the rear surface thereof and said right angle portion will project forwardly beneath said frame and provide a stand for said shade, and in the other of said positions said support will project upwardly along and parallel with the rear surface of said frame and said right angle portion and said curved portion will project rearwardly and downwardly, respectively, and provide a hanger for said shade, and means on said support for yieldingly gripping said second member and holding said shade against pivotal movement relative to said support in each position of the latter.

ARTHUR L. HALPERN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 558,904 Heck Apr. 21, 1896 1,667,623 Carey Apr. 24, 1928 1,725,936 Rogovin Aug. 27, 1929 1,891,971 Crane Dec. 27, 1932 1,904,121 Stetner Apr. 28, 1933 

